Hollywood director Rob Reiner is spearheading an effort to tax the wealthiest Californians to support a universal pre-school program.
Reiner announced plans for the ballot initiative yesterday. Reiner, who could run for Governor on the Democratic ticket in 2006, calls the proposed measure a “strategic investment in the future.”
The initiative is aimed at raising $2.3 billion a year to expand voluntary programs for pre-schoolers. The measure would seek to raise participation among the state´s four year olds in pre-school from 47% to 70%.
A recent study suggests that increased participation in voluntary pre-school programs may lead to higher high-school graduation rates, lower rates of child abuse, and fewer instances of juvenile delinquency.
This post was last modified on 01/31/2009 2:24 pm